The Deadliest Plants in the World

DOOM ‘SHROOMIN

Before we proceed, we should just go ahead and clarify that yes, this article on dangerous “plants” includes fungi, because nobody would click on an article about “dangerous immobile living things that are popularly considered to be plant life despite their possibly heterotrophic nature.” Send all your letters of complaint to the White House, preceded by the words “THANKS, OBAMA!” Anyway, wild mushrooms are dangerous because there’s no real rule of thumb pickers can use to tell toxic ‘shrooms from tasty ones, i.e. “brightly colored” mushrooms are supposedly a warning sign but Amanita “destroying angel” mushrooms are all a bland shade of white, and while many believe that any mushroom an animal is observed eating must be safe, many woodland creatures have developed immunities to fungal toxins that are dangerous to humans. Even experienced mushroom pickers can get tripped up from time to time, so maybe when you want to add a truly unique home-made flavor to your salads, just make your own croutons instead of adding an ingredient that will at worst kill you and at least make you spend the next few hours on the toilet.